![]() Furthermore, it covers all of its subject matter with that same care. It’s a little ridiculous that an anime fantasy game is the only AAA title in history with something to say about the Holocaust, but to this game’s immense credit it speaks with the care and respect such a sensitive topic deserves. They kill them indiscriminately and even – here we get to the part of the war that no other game talks about – toss them into concentration camps and work them to death. The Empire is also running a campaign of extermination against the Darcsens, a race of pale-skinned, dark-haired people who have become scapegoats for the bulk of Europa’s ills. The small, neutral principality of Gallia is invaded by the Empire for their rich deposits of this precious resource. Europa is embroiled in a conflict between two superpowers – the Atlantic Federation and the Imperial Alliance – over a miraculous mineral fuel called Ragnite. Valkyria Chronicles has a very dense narrative, but to sum it up it’s a steampunk fantasy take on World War II set on the fictional continent of Europa. The only things this port doesn’t improve on are the cutscenes, which are unfortunately encoded at 720p despite most of them being rendered-in engine. Even better, it condenses the PS3 version’s excruciating loading times to a fraction of a second. Fortunately, not only does the PC version of run at 60 frames per second in high definition with nary a hiccup, it also makes several significant enhancements to the original game’s effects. And that would have been a real shame, because with its sketchy watercolor aesthetic the PS3 version is one of the most enduringly beautiful games of the last generation. ![]() Fans of Japanese games have been let down time and again by PC releases, and when Sega announced a few weeks ago that Valkyria Chronicles would be coming to steam we had every reason to expect a buggy, slapdash port. It’s important because it marks the last time that Sega put in the care and effort needed to make something unequivocally excellent.Īfter six years it’s also the game to break that unfortunate streak. It’s important because of the innovative ways in which it manages to systemize its characterization and themes. It’s important because the story touches on some of the darkest moments in human history – moments no other game has dared to touch – and does so in an intelligent and sensitive manner. Sega’s brilliant take on turn-based tactics is one of my favorite games of all time, but beyond that I think it’s a very important game. It’s hard to figure out where to even begin talking about Valkyria Chronicles there’s so much to say.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |